What do spy balloons, Taylor Swift, and a viral WIRED video have in common?
Aliza Bran, Director of Media Relations at the International Spy Museum, pitched them all, and landed press wins most PR pros only dream of.
In this episode of Digital PR Explained, Aliza shares the story behind one of her biggest career moments: a cold pitch to WIRED that turned into one of the outlet’s most popular YouTube videos and an ongoing media partnership. She also walks us through her approach to exclusive media rollouts, persuading internal stakeholders, and spotting creative angles in everything from Cold War history to Taylor Swift fan theories.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How a cold pitch to WIRED became a viral hit
- Why she chose Jonna Mendez as on-camera talent—and how she got her to say yes
- Her exclusive-first strategy for exhibit launches like Bond in Motion
- What makes internal trust just as important as media relationships
- Her Taylor Swift pitch that turned intelligence analysis into pop culture gold
- Advice for PR pros hesitant about pitching “big” outlets
About Aliza Bran
Aliza Bran is the Director of Media Relations at the International Spy Museum. She joined the Museum in 2016 and led the massive PR effort around its 2019 move to L’Enfant Plaza. With over a decade of experience in agency and in-house roles, she has worked across the museum, government, health, and nonprofit sectors. Aliza also co-leads the Communicators Team at the National Press Club and is known for her creative pitching and deep subject matter fluency, from Cold War espionage to Swiftie sleuthing.
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